In modern supermarkets and drugstores, the individual items packaged in cans, cartons and other containers are hand stamped to show the selling price. Because hundred or thousands of such items must be marked, the operation becomes a tedious daily routine for the people who stock the shelves, and the speed and efficiency with which it can be accomplished is an important economic consideration. For these reasons, even the slightest improvement in the hand stamp is worthwhile if it contributes to the speed of the operation or to a reduction in operator fatigue.